Railway Route 10

Kosovo’s Railway Route 10 runs from the country’s border with Serbia in the north to the border with North Macedonia in the south. In addition to comprising Kosovo’s sole railway connection to the wider region, Route 10 is part of the Trans-European Transport Network’s (TEN-T) Core Network Corridors and a key connector between Europe’s rail lines and maritime shipping routes in the Mediterranean Sea.

To bring the route into compliance with European Union (EU) railway standards and enable faster travel, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is investing in a comprehensive rehabilitation project to take place over three phases. Infrastruktura e Hekurudhave të Kosovës (Infrakos), the agency responsible for the operation and maintenance of Kosovo’s railway network, is leading the implementation. Hill is providing construction management support for the project.

• Phase 1 involves the rehabilitation of 67 km of railway track and 13 railways stations and stops, from Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, to the country’s border with North Macedonia. The total estimated cost is more than €100 million.
• Phase 2 involves the rehabilitation of 35 km of railway track, 5 railway stations, and 5 stops from Fushë Kosovë/Kosovo Polje to Mitrovicë/Mitrovica. The total estimated cost is more than €67 million.
• Phase 3 will complete renovations on the final 47 km of Route 10 in the country, from Mitrovicë/Mitrovica to the border with Serbia.

Phases 1 and 2 are currently underway, with Phase 3 in the planning stage. The whole project will bring Railway Route 10’s existing infrastructure and equipment into compliance with TEN-T and EU standards. This includes upgraded or new high-level signage, telecommunication equipment, switches, tracks, track bed, culverts, bridges, and tunnels. Overall, the project represents the largest investment in Kosovo’s railway transportation infrastructure in decades. The upgrades will allow for an increase in passenger and freight travel speeds up to 120 km/h and an increase in freight axel load to 22.5 tons.

The Hill team is providing technical expertise to help local contractors bring their methods into compliance with the Contract’s requirements, Eurocodes, and EU norms. Hill is also managing the project’s costs, schedule, and risk. Some of Hill’s notable solutions on the project include:

• In the first phase, Hill coordinated and validated a redesign of portions of the alignment not on Infrakos property. This saved time and money.
• During Phase 2, the JV successfully addressed gaps in the design by coordinating and validating proposed redesigns. This saved time and money.
• Hill helped negotiate an addendum to the contract that distributed risk for the alignment’s tunnels, one of the more challenging parts of the works, to the contractor. This helped shield the client from associated claims.
• Throughout the entire project, Hill has provided expertise in EU quality standards to lead negotiations with the contractor, support expropriations, better manage change, and implement robust quality assurance/quality control procedures. This helps ensure EU funds are implemented appropriately and the people of Kosovo receive high-quality, safer, and more efficient rail infrastructure.

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